I bounced across this article online which shows the bridge layer about halfway through and noting the previous post from 2007 is dead and the thread closed thought I would save it here before it is lost again. Noting the cleanliness of the Mk V**, the extra buttressing of the trench and the "posed" appearance of the image I believe it is a trial at Erin in France.

As the first British tank bridge layer, I would suggest they were only concerned with bridging trenches, unlike more modern bridge layers. I would also suggest that the complexity of scissor or sliding bridges and specialised bridge laying tanks was something they did not want to address.

Hello Chris,
You are right, it was used to take the obstacles that were then present on battlefields. I sometimes forget the circumstances on the battlefields right then. Slow progress and just trenches to cross.
On looking at the bridge i noticed it is a pair of H beams which are attached toneach other by smaller pieces of H beams and to make sure a crossing tank would not fall off they mad some exta plates on the insides of the beams to keep the tracks on the beams. Clever and very effective i guess.
Best regards,
Willem

A little further Google research suggests the image I posted is a post War "RE Tank" conducting trials at the "Experimental Bridging Establishment" post war. At the thinkdefence.co.uk website there is an image of an Inglis MkII Assault bridge which has been positioned (note the attached tracked trolley) and in the foreground is the small assault bridge shown above in position. Also on the thinkdefence website, there are two excellent images of a MkV* on an Inglis MkII assault bridge pontoon.

thanks for that other picture of the assault bridge and the link to the two pictures of the MkV**.Impressive sight in the background of the assault bridge that other bridge with tracks attached........